Tourism effects from China's visa exemption policy

Not only promoting people-to-people exchanges and restoring international tourism, this initiative also shapes a multi-directional open cooperation model, bringing practical benefits to many countries.

Positive moves from South Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines and Russia have demonstrated the growing appeal and influence of this policy in the context of the world seeking new momentum for growth and connection.

A clear signal from South Korea is that the country's tourism industry recently proposed to the government to extend the visa exemption policy for Chinese group tourists.

This is a joint call from travel, airline, hotel, cultural, culinary businesses and large corporations of Korea.

This reflects a growing awareness of the benefits of opening up, as well as the positive interaction between South Korea's policy and China's unilateral visa exemption policy.

China has proactively opened its doors to the world with an open and flexible attitude, thereby stimulating potential tourism demand and creating an "institutional supply" to promote two-way tourism flows.

The effectiveness of this model is clearly demonstrated by the numbers. Since Korea introduced visa exemptions for Chinese tourists in late September, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Shinsegae Duty Free Shop in Myeongdong has increased by 90% in just one month, leading to a 40% increase in sales.

The Korean tourism industry asserts that this is proof that visa policy should be seen as an important economic tool, contributing to promoting consumption, creating jobs and growth.

South Korea's call for extending the visa exemption policy is not only in line with economic interests but also demonstrates its commitment to promoting people-to-people exchanges in a sustainable manner.

The significance of visa exemptions between China and South Korea goes far beyond tourism. In the first 10 months of the year, more than 7 million two-way tourist arrivals were recorded, exceeding the total number of visitors for the whole of last year.

Not only South Korea, the “circle of friends” who benefit from China’s visa exemption policy is expanding. Currently, China has unilateral or bilateral visa exemptions with more than 70 countries.

Meanwhile, the number of countries enjoying visa-free transit into China has increased to 55, with 60 entry ports allowing a maximum stay of up to 240 hours.

These steps demonstrate China's determination to build a convenient, highly connected tourism ecosystem that is in line with the travel trends of international tourists.

Data from the Shenzhen border checkpoint shows a clear impact. By the end of November, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Shenzhen airport had exceeded 6 million, a five-year high, up 23.4% year-on-year.

Notably, nearly 60% of foreign tourists entered the country through visa exemption, an increase of more than 133% over the previous year.

The figures reflect China's growing appeal as a modern, safe and culturally rich destination, and show that the world increasingly appreciates the benefits of connecting with a market of more than 1.4 billion people.

Not only that, many countries are proactively responding to the opening signal from China. New Zealand has implemented a visa exemption policy for Chinese citizens holding valid Australian visas.

The Philippines has introduced the eVisa system and Russia has announced that its visa-free policy for Chinese tourists will come into effect. This is not a coincidence, but a result of China becoming an important hub in the global tourism flow.

At the same time, Chinese tourists, the world's largest and most spending group, are driving a transformation of the global tourism industry.

They are moving towards in-depth cultural experiences, green tourism and exploring local identity, forcing many international destinations to innovate services and improve product quality.

In contrast, international tourists coming to China under the visa-free policy are discovering a more authentic and multi-dimensional China, not only the Forbidden City or the Great Wall, but also modern streets, peaceful villages and vibrant daily life.

From the success of the China-Korea visa exemption policy to the response of many countries in the world, it can be seen that a general trend is that opening up and cooperation is no longer a slogan, but a strategic choice that brings benefits to all parties.

China's visa-free policy, therefore, is not only a measure to facilitate procedures, but also a symbol of an open foreign vision, looking towards a future of shared development.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/du-lich/hieu-ung-du-lich-tu-chinh-sach-mien-thi-thuc-trung-quoc-185252.html